Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)

The Museum of History and Industry, known as MOHAI, is Seattle's principal history museum, housed since 2012 in the former Naval Reserve Armory at 860 Terry Ave N on Lake Union in Seattle, Washington. The museum was founded in 1952 and operated for decades in Montlake before moving to this brick armory, built in 1942, which was renovated and expanded with a glass atrium facing the lake. Its collection holds several million objects, photographs and documents covering the city from the arrival of the Denny Party in 1851 to the present. Exhibits follow the city's development through the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the Klondike Gold Rush, the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, the 1962 Century 21 World's Fair and the technology boom of Boeing, Microsoft and Amazon. The Bezos Center for Innovation explores how local inventors, companies and everyday residents shaped the city, and the atrium displays a Boeing B-1 flying boat as a reminder of the aircraft industry. The curatorial approach is a mix of thematic and chronological, with interactive displays, audio and video, and rotating exhibitions on topics such as neighborhood history, music, food and social change. Visitors can see a recreation of a Seattle street scene, historic vehicles, and artifacts such as neon signs, clothing, tools and household goods. The armory building is a modest Art Moderne structure, and its conversion has preserved the exterior shell while creating bright galleries and a lakeside lobby. The museum also operates a research library with photographs and manuscripts, available by appointment. Located at Lake Union Park, MOHAI is within walking distance of the Center for Wooden Boats and South Lake Union, which makes it easy to combine with a stroll along the water. Family programs, tours and special events run throughout the year, and the museum is an accessible, well-organized introduction to Seattle's story for first-time visitors. Its permanent displays are supplemented by changing exhibitions, so repeat visitors usually find something new, and the gift shop sells local books and crafts.